Season 1

TV Show · Comedy

Enter the world of Rick Spleen — disillusioned stand-up comedian and writer. Rick's career has not gone the way he had planned; hosting corporate events and appearing on second-rate daytime chat shows was not meant to be part of the plan. Worse still, he's stuck with a lousy stage name that he chose twenty years ago. Whether he is being accused of putting on weight, suspected of being gay or worried about accidentally poisoning another performer, Rick combines a mass of neuroses and petty grievances with a terrible propensity for lying. Along for the ride is his quick-talking American co-writer Marty, his unflappable partner Mel, feckless daughter Sam and Magda, his unenthusiastic Eastern European home help. Written by and starring Jack Dee, one of the UK’s most successful stand-up comedians, this a comedy series with a difference.

2006 · 29m
Starring Raquel Cassidy, Sean Power, Anna Crilly
Director Alex Hardcastle

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Rubbish
    Rick and Mel are invited to the christening of a very ugly baby. Meanwhile, Rick fronts a TV recycling campaign that backfires. When it looks as though he's going to be accused in the tabloids of smoking cannabis, Rick asks Mel to pretend she has MS.
    29m
  • EPISODE 2
    Wayne
    Rick decides to replenish his cutlery drawer by stealing teaspoons from Michael's café - but Michael exacts an expensive revenge. Rick is suffering from insomnia thanks to Wayne the paper-boy who is very punctual and very noisy.
    30m
  • EPISODE 3
    £5000
    Rick hosts an awards show for a manufacturer of obscure electrical components and gets into a fight with a drunken sales manager. Mel points out that Rick has mistakenly pledged a vast amount of money to Michael for a forthcoming sponsored charity event.
    29m
  • EPISODE 4
    Allergic
    Rick confides in Mel and Marty that he may have inadvertently killed one of Britain's best-loved entertainers. Of almost equal concern to Rick is that his free shoe-organizer did not arrive with the set of storage boxes he ordered.
    29m
  • EPISODE 5
    Pistachio
    Rick buys a scooter but starts to worry that it makes him look gay. His paranoia starts to affect his work and, as Marty points out, the jokes he writes for the Annual Hairdresser Awards are downright homophobic.
    30m
  • EPISODE 6
    Fatty
    Rick decides to take some exercise after being told on TV by chat-show host Adam Green that he's put on weight. At home, Rick finds elderly neighbor Doris' lost cat but then later on has to explain to her son why he accepted the substantial reward money.
    29m

Related

  • Extras
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • Upstart Crow
  • Toast of London
  • The Comeback
  • This Time with Alan Partridge
  • Year of the Rabbit
  • German Genius
  • Peep Show

Cast & Crew

  • Jack Dee
    Rick Spleen
  • Raquel Cassidy
    Mel
  • S‌P
    Sean Power
    Marty
  • Anna Crilly
    Magda
  • Antonia Campbell-Hughes
    Sam
  • Rasmus Hardiker
    Ben
  • Tony Gardner
    Michael
  • Alex Hardcastle
    Director
  • Jack Dee
    Writer
  • P‌S
    Pete Sinclair
    Writer
  • Jack Dee
    Creator

About

Season 1

Comedy

Enter the world of Rick Spleen — disillusioned stand-up comedian and writer. Rick's career has not gone the way he had planned; hosting corporate events and appearing on second-rate daytime chat shows was not meant to be part of the plan. Worse still, he's stuck with a lousy stage name that he chose twenty years ago. Whether he is being accused of putting on weight, suspected of being gay or worried about accidentally poisoning another performer, Rick combines a mass of neuroses and petty grievances with a terrible propensity for lying. Along for the ride is his quick-talking American co-writer Marty, his unflappable partner Mel, feckless daughter Sam and Magda, his unenthusiastic Eastern European home help. Written by and starring Jack Dee, one of the UK’s most successful stand-up comedians, this a comedy series with a difference.

Information

Studio
BBC Four
Released
2006
Rated
TV-PG
Region of Origin
United Kingdom
© 2006 Open Mike Productions

Languages

Original Audio
English (United Kingdom)
Audio

English (United Kingdom) (AAC)

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
  • Español (México)
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)

Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Internet Service Terms
  • Apple TV & Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Support
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)